View source for Symphony in Three Movements

{{Short description|1945 symphony by Igor Stravinsky}}
{{about|the musical work|the ballet|Symphony in Three Movements (ballet)}}
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[[File:Igor Stravinsky, Roger Baulu, Jean-Marie Beaudet 1945.jpg|thumb|Stravinsky (left), Roger Baulu, and [[Jean-Marie Beaudet]] at Radio-Canada, Montreal, 4 March 1945]]
The '''''Symphony in Three Movements''''' is a work by Russian expatriate composer [[Igor Stravinsky]].  Stravinsky wrote the symphony from 1942–45 on commission by the [[Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York]].  It was premiered by the [[New York Philharmonic Orchestra]] under Stravinsky on January 24, 1946.

The ''Symphony in Three Movements'' is considered Stravinsky's first major composition after emigrating to the United States.<ref>Michael Oliver, ''Igor Stravinsky'' (London: Phaidon Press Ltd, 1995), p. 152.</ref> It uses material written by Stravinsky for abandoned film projects.<ref>Stephen Walsh, "Stravinsky, Igor", ''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 2nd ed., edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (New York: Grove's Dictionaries), §8.</ref>

In 1943, Stravinsky had begun work on rescoring his ballet ''[[The Rite of Spring]]''. Although the project was left incomplete, his revisit to this earlier composition appears to have influenced the symphony. The ostinatos and shock tactics of the last movement, for example, recalls the "Glorification of the Chosen One" and "Sacrificial Dance" from ''The Rite'', and some woodwind passages are reminiscent of the ballet's introduction. On the other hand, there are passages forecasting the opera ''[[The Rake's Progress]]'', notably the openings of the slow movement and the finale.<ref>Eric Walter White, ''Stravinsky: The Composer and his Works,'' 2nd edition (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1979), p. 435.</ref>

A typical performance of the symphony lasts 20–25 minutes:

{{Ordered list|type=upper-roman
|Overture; Allegro (about 10 minutes)

|Andante; Interlude: L'istesso tempo (about 6 minutes)
|Con moto (about 6 minutes)
}}

The symphony is scored for an orchestra of [[piccolo]], 2 [[flute]]s, 2 [[oboe]]s, 3 [[clarinet]]s in B{{music|flat}} and A (3rd doubling [[bass clarinet]]), 2 [[bassoon]]s, [[contrabassoon]], 4 [[French horn|horn]]s, 3 [[trumpet]]s in C, 3 [[trombone]]s, [[tuba]], [[timpani]], [[bass drum]], [[piano]], [[harp]], [[violin]]s I & II, [[viola]]s, [[cello]]s, and [[double bass]]es.

Stravinsky, who rarely acknowledged extramusical inspirations for his music, referred to the composition as his 'war symphony'.<ref>Charles M. Joseph,  ''Stravinsky Inside Out''  (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2001), p. 120.</ref>  He claimed the symphony as a direct response to events of the [[Second World War]] in both [[Europe]] and [[Asia]].  The first movement was inspired by a documentary on Japanese [[scorched earth]] tactics in [[China]].  The third movement deals with footage of [[German Army (1935–1945)|German soldiers]] goosestepping and the [[Allies of World War II|Allied forces']] mounting success.<ref>Michael Oliver, ''Igor Stravinsky'' (London: Phaidon Press Ltd, 1995), pp.152, 154–6.</ref>

Material is drawn from projects that Stravinsky had abandoned or reorganized. The [[piano]]'s presence in the first movement stems from a piano concerto that was left incomplete.  Music for [[harp]] is prominent in the second movement, using themes he had written for [[The Song of Bernadette (film)|the film adaptation]] of [[Franz Werfel]]'s novel ''[[The Song of Bernadette (novel)|The Song of Bernadette]]''.  Stravinsky was initially informally approached for the writing of the film score.  On 15 February 1943 he started writing music for the "Apparition of the Virgin" scene.  In the event, no contract was ever signed with him, and the project went to [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]], who won an Oscar.<ref>Stephen Walsh. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-TwBsckJEKsC&q=Song+of+Bernadette+stravinsky&pg=PA143 ''Stravinsky: The Second Exile: France and America'' 1934–1971, p. 144]. Retrieved 1 November 2014</ref> The third movement unites the first two movements by giving equal emphasis to piano and harp.<ref>Eric Walter White, ''Stravinsky: The Composer and his Works,'' 2nd edition (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1979),  p. 429.</ref>

In contrast to Stravinsky's earlier [[Symphony in C (Stravinsky)|Symphony in C]], the ''Symphony in Three Movements'' is much more turbulent and chromatic. While the Symphony in C is based on abstract ideas, his later symphony makes use of pressing social concerns.  From a purely musical standpoint, the Symphony hearkens back to Stravinsky's earlier styles of composition while retaining a firmly [[neoclassicism (music)|neoclassical]] identity.<ref>Eric Walter White, ''Stravinsky: The Composer and his Works,'' 2nd edition (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1979), p. 435.</ref>

From 1979 to 1980, the American intermedia artist, [[Jack Ox]], produced three visual mappings from Stravinsky's ''Symphony in Three Movements''.<ref>http://intermediaprojects.org/pages/Stravinsky.html</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Igor Stravinsky}}
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[[Category:Symphonies by Igor Stravinsky]]
[[Category:1945 compositions]]
[[Category:20th-century symphonies|Stravinsky, Three Movements]]
[[Category:Music commissioned by the New York Philharmonic]]
[[Category:Unused film music]]
[[Category:Neoclassicism (music)]]